Andros Bahamas: get certified and dive or just snorkel?

[Heatheroe]

We are going on our 1st trip to Andros in October. We're not certified yet and are debating whether to get certified now and dive in Andros or wait and just snorkel while we're on vacation. If I did get certified I would not do anything advanced like a wall dive. I prefer shallow, warm, clear reef dives. We're only there for 4 days. I know Andros is a pretty big dive destination for the Bahamas and just want to know if we'll be cheating ourselves if we only snorkel. Any advice?

Also, concerning the instruction, what is the worst thing you go through during the cert dives? I've heard the instructors surprise you and yank your respirator out of your mouth or yank your mask off. Is this true?

Thanks!

 

[SoccerJeni]

I don't know if you will be cheating yourself if you only snorkel. I like snorkeling, but I LOVE diving! So, if I were to vote for you I would vote to get certified.

And goodness, I hope instructors don't do that to you. That never happened to me. The worst thing you do is take off your own mask and put it back on. Some people have trouble with it, some don't. The main trouble is that people get water up that nose and it scares them. At least that's what I think...

 

[Blue Sparkle]

It sounds like there is great diving at Andros. So what I would want to know is whether there is great snorkeling as well, or whether all the good stuff is deeper than you can really appreciate snorkeling.

If I only had four days, and if there were good snorkeling, and if the diving were "challenging" (I don't know what it is like there), then I think I might just go, relax, and snorkel. I would still get certified though for other diving I'm just saying that I would want to weigh the snorkeling possibilities against the difficulty level of the typical dives there, especially since it sounds like these would be some of your first dives.

 

[g1138]

Doing a quick google search it seems like Wall diving and Blue hole diving are pretty popular there.
You may want to contact any dive shops in the area and ask if they have shallow 50ft and above dive sites that they frequent. You can also ask them if there's anything that scuba divers can see that snorkelers cannot.
I know resort sites and dive shops alike do snorkel excursions as well as scuba excursions.

Getting certified is very expensive and at times challenging. If you're sure and excited to scuba dive then maybe certification is right for you. If you have reservations or fear then maybe a Discover Scuba lesson (either local or on a trip) would be better for your mind and wallet.

Hope this helps you in making a decision.

 

[TMHeimer]

I always recommend getting certified at home so you can just dive when you get there--if you have time-2 weekends is the norm. I assume you have checked that a course could be scheduled down there as well. If you don't have time I would just snorkel and take your time with scuba cert. after the trip. Some like to do a referral (all classroom at home & 4 Cert. dives at the resort). You still will spend a lot of the 4 cert. dives (2 days?) doing the skills and not just diving. This would work better if you had more than 4 days vacation. Another consideration may be equipment. If you don't buy stuff and take most of it with you you'll be renting everything when there. That could be over $100 a day, if that makes a difference. Though for the 4 cert. dives including use of equipment is the norm.

 

[RonFrank]

You have enough time to get certified before your trip. If you have the money do it. If not do it soon so next time you have certification behind you.

Remember most divers buy equipment as well. You certainly don't need too. It will cost likely $50 a day each to rent full gear on top of the diving costs. Diving is not cheap but worth the cost IMO.

Good Luck.....

 

[martinskarin]

Also, concerning the instruction, what is the worst thing you go through during the cert dives? I've heard the instructors surprise you and yank your respirator out of your mouth or yank your mask off. Is this true?

Thanks!

About the course and instruction. It is a very fun course that teach you a lot and improves you in many ways both as adiver and in other ways. Nothing like what you said will happen. You will do exercises about removing the mask and loosing the regulator, but this is done very controlled, first you practice it in confined water and then in the ocean. It is always calmly done and you are well briefed beforehand and can do everything in your pace, and, if you dont feel good, you can just quit.

The worst thing what I think was to breath without the mask on, because I got bubbles in my nose but after a whlie I figured out that I could look down and get the bubbles going over my neck instead. The thing I was most nervous about was the "Emergency swimming ascent" which is a from 5m swim up to the surface without the regulator in your mouth but it was no problems at all!

Even if I was nervous before, after doing every exersice once, or twice or more whatever needed to feel confident with it I could do it as anything else and felt very comfortable. That is a good feeling =)

I think you should get the cert, even if you do not dive much after, it is a great and fun thing to do! (But you will dive much after because it is so awesome!)

 

[Tessunderwater]

If you have the means to do the certification, definitely do it. Also, you have enough time to get certified now and get a few dives done at home to get comfortable in the water. I would do some research on the dive ops in that area so you have an idea of what to expect when you get there. A good dive op can work with your level of experience and your time frame. I wouldn't pass up the snorkeling if it is good there too. Good luck!
Forgot to mention, do research on the dive indtruction in your local area too. A good dive instructor lets you go at your own comfort level and is always there to help you out.

 

[Heatheroe]

Thank you all for your advice! We've done 2 resort dives before, one in Long Island Bahamas and another in Jamaica. The hubby is definitely going to get certified but he wanted me to do maybe one more resort course just to be sure that I would comfortable enough to get certified. We have spoken with 4 different dive ops in our area so we've been thinking about it for a while now. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions, thanks again.

 

[fjpatrum]

I wasn't at Andros but the snorkeling I did in the Bahamas was awesome. I wish I had been diving, though, because the divers all saw sharks, rays and turtles, while I didn't see any of them snorkeling. I did see a lot of barracuda, some amazing schools of literally thousands of fish that I swam through and some other great sights too.

Do some more searching about your specific destination with respect to snorkeling quality and decide based upon that.

As for the hardest thing to go through in OW class, it was waiting for it to start. I don't know of any basic open water classes that "allow" instructors to harass the students anymore. I know it used to happen regularly and it may still happen occasionally in certain courses but I don't think any of the agencies consider it acceptable practice.